Stephanie Valentine Influential Wellness Educator Releases “Love What’s On Your Plate”

Stephanie Valentine is a wellness educator, and the founder of SVLiving.com, an online hub for nourishing food, mindset, and lifestyle inspiration. She’s been married for over 30 years and has 3 adult children. Trained as a holistic and culinary nutritionist, clinical hypnotist, and mental health coach, she is known for moving beyond diet culture to make wellness accessible and sustainable. Her award-winning cookbook, Love What’s On Your Plate, celebrates delicious, nutrient-rich recipes meant to be cooked, savored, and shared. 

You work with clients to nourish both the body and mind. Please share your backstory. 

I got into health and wellness by following what I needed. I was a mom with three young kids, a wife, really busy taking care of everybody else. And I’d sort of lost myself a little bit. If a member of my family had a bad day, I had a bad day. If they had a good day, I had a good day—but there wasn’t much I was doing for myself. I wasn’t taking breaks, I didn’t listen to my body, I didn’t pay attention to my diet and I wasn’t exercising regularly. Self care wasn’t on my radar. 

When I’d go places and people asked, “What do you do?”—I felt uneasy with my answer, like it didn’t feel like ‘enough’. Something felt missing from my life, but I didn’t know what. I found that I was constantly on edge—grumpy, snapping, irritable. That wasn’t me. I was also running on fumes, and I’d started having digestive problems that we spent years trying to diagnose, running to all sorts of doctors and coming away with no answers. 

My mom finally said to me, “Steph, you need to do something for yourself, to find a path that feels like yours. Either get a job or go back to school.” Her advice resonated, so I began looking inward. I’d always been interested in fitness—I’d been an aerobics instructor when I was younger—and I am a natural ‘helper’. I wanted part-time work where I could still be around for my family but also give to others. So I enrolled in holistic nutrition school, actually not having any idea what it was exactly. I thought it was just training to become a nutritionist. 

That’s where I first learned about the mind-body connection. How you can fortify yourself with whole foods and supplements. The idea that modern medicine often deals with illness once it’s already set in, but maybe there are steps we can take to prevent that, or to heal faster. 

Around the same time, I saw a naturopath and finally got a diagnosis: I was suffering from abdominal migraines. By watching what I ate and taking the right supplements, I started feeling better physically. I was also introduced to mindfulness and meditation, and I saw how they influenced how I felt. Yoga became my favorite exercise activity —it opened up that mind-body connection even more. 

As I learned about the energetic effects of food—what helps me think clearer, sleep better, what to eat when I have a headache or sore throat—I felt such a difference in myself that I knew I wanted to share the knowledge with others. And everyone responds differently, which is what makes this work so rewarding. 

What is your philosophy in life? 

Oh wow, this is a biggie. I think we all want the same thing, which is to be as happy as we can be. I don’t love saying “live your best life”—it sounds so cliché—but I haven’t come up with anything more accurate. We all want to feel like our best selves and live our best life, even through traumas, challenges, illness, heartbreak, anger—all of it. 

So the goal is not to make everyone walk around smiling all the time—that’s unrealistic. But I do believe there’s so much we can do to be the happiest we can be and have the most energy we can. 

I love the idea of giving 100% every day—and today’s 100% might not be the same as tomorrow’s. If all I can give today is a walk around the block, or a five-minute meditation, or honestly, nothing at all—that’s my best for that day. Tomorrow might look completely different, but I’ll do what I can with what I have in each moment. 

We all have choices. We can’t choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond. We can choose our perspective—and I think perspective is so important. It’s one of the few things we truly have control over. I believe we find what we’re looking for, so if you’re looking for things to be grateful for, that’s what you’re going to find. 

I also don’t take myself too seriously. Laughing at myself, finding the humor in situations—that’s something that has really helped me. I come by it naturally, but it makes a difference, especially when times get tough. 

You are very influential in the health & wellness space. How are you helping people to adopt a holistic mindset to achieve better health? 

What’s unique about what I do is that every recommendation is customized for each person. But the common thread is balance. 

A lot of people think that to be well, or to participate in the health and wellness space, they’re going to have to make sacrifices. Change their life. Eat differently than everyone in their family. Give things up. And that’s just not true. 

I think of myself as a sort of ‘wellness missionary’ because I love to convert people by showing them how they can have more energy, by giving them easy-to-follow guides and templates. Most of the recipes on my website and in my cookbook are really simple to make. I just break it all down so it’s approachable (and yummy!). 

I also focus a lot on how you’re going to feel on the other end. That’s where the motivation comes from. If you’re feeling better, you’ve got more energy, so you can do more than you thought you could, and you’re going to keep doing it because you like the results. 

What are the main reasons clients come to you today? 

Most of my one-on-one work these days is hypnosis clients who come to me with specific issues they want to solve. What’s most fun about hypnosis work is how effective it is. In just one or two sessions, you’re not cured, but whatever you need help with, there’s a huge improvement. And you’ll see it. I get a real rush from that. 

I spend most of my time on my Instagram channel, sending out newsletters, and adding to my website. I’m really building a community—a resource that anyone can go to and find inspiration. Maybe the holidays are coming up and you’re anxious about navigating celebratory meals with all eyes on you. Or maybe you want to slow down the drinking but you don’t want to stand out or feel different. I’ve got a mocktail guide with recommendations so you don’t feel like you’re missing out. That kind of thing. 

What will people notice when working with you? 

You’re going to notice that you’re achieving things you didn’t know you could. You’ll have more energy, you’ll realize when you’re feeling off, you’ll start sleeping better. Basically, you’re going to notice that you’ve got a toolbox of resources you can open. If you’re having stomach aches, or you feel stiff or drained or numb, you’ll know how to help yourself. You’ll have something to reach for. 

What wellness activities do you recommend? 

I strongly recommend three activities: exercise, meditation, and mindful eating. 

Movement is your best antidepressant. It’s your best tool for longevity. And I don’t associate it with numbers on a scale—I don’t do that. I used to treat clients for weight loss, and I don’t do that anymore because it’s a very narrow goal and people were never happy or satisfied. The fact is, many women have complicated relationships with food and body image, so instead of trying to change you, I focus on activities that make you feel good right now. Exercise gives you energy—real, lasting energy. It stimulates all those happy hormones and chemicals in your brain, and it makes you feel strong. There’s something powerful about feeling strong in your own body, and I help people see that. 

Meditation and mindfulness will change how you approach situations, and I teach how to use them as tools in everyday life. You don’t have to make sweeping changes to build them in. You don’t need an hour alone every day, which is too hard for busy parents. On my website, I offer

free ‘rescue meditations’—so if you’re having a panic attack or feeling overwhelmed, you can listen to a 3 or 5 minute recording and feel better. It’s an important tool for your toolbox. 

And we can’t forget about mindful eating. Let’s face it, food is pleasure. Food is also the fuel our bodies need. Food is full of love that we serve, and share, and socialize around. I help people understand and appreciate eating instead of falling into the “good food, bad food” trap where you end up feeling like you have to repent for enjoying birthday cake. I don’t subscribe to shame or guilt around food. I help people create sustainable healthy lifestyles they feel good about, and that includes all wellness activities. 

Tell us about the cookbook that everyone is talking about, “Love What’s On Your Plate.” 

This book is filled with all the recipes I raised my family on, so it really has everything. There are family staples, festive foods, seasonal dishes, and I even included what I call the “nutritionisty foods”, which are recipes that non-nutritionists might not know about, but guests love them and don’t realize they’re healthy! There’s also a Jewish food category, with holiday staples I love. If you’re new to cooking or you’re a pro, this book makes cooking easy and fun, and it makes a wonderful gift. 

I’ve made sure it’s very user-friendly. You can see designations for what’s gluten-free, vegetarian, or freezer-ready, so it’s easy to find what works for you. I also included a guide to setting a table and a “newbie garden guide” that shows you how to grow things on your windowsill—stuff that’s accessible to everybody. 

Plus, this book is stunning! The hardcover is coffee table-style. I decided early on that I had never made a recipe from a cookbook that didn’t have a picture—so every recipe has a gorgeous photograph. You can actually see what it’s supposed to look like. We eat with our eyes before our other senses, and looking at the page sparks desire. 

Most of the recipes are very easy to follow—a lot of them are mostly just assembly. They use ingredients you already have at home, so you’re not going to scan the list and feel like it’s too hard and skip it.

Please share a few of your favorite dishes. 

This is a hard one. It’s like asking who is my favorite child! I chose recipes I really love, but I guess I do have go-to’s. For instance, I always have my granola on the kitchen counter so I can grab handfuls whenever I want. The nut butter is also a staple I use often. And I can’t get enough of the Chicken Mezzanotti. It’s got a garlicky bruschetta and salad topping that’s colorful and flavorful and all round delectable.

What have you enjoyed the most along your journey? What is next? 

I do this work because I really love helping people. I feel so satisfied and charged when someone says, “Oh my God, I made this and everybody loved it,” or “Wow, Steph, I feel so much better than I did before.” But along the way, I’ve just really enjoyed the journey itself. I loved being in school. I love learning new ideas and new strategies, and I’m still learning. I find it stimulating and exciting. 

I also love how I’ve found new ways to respond to what happens in life. I’m no longer scared of food. I’m no longer scared to go to bed at night because I might waken with a stomach ache. I have my own toolbox of resources to reach for now. So when something stressful happens, I have this space I didn’t have before—it’s almost like I can stop the clock. My brain says, “Do you really want to say that?” And I can think, “Okay, if I say what I want to say, what’s the outcome going to be? Is that the outcome I’m really looking for?” My family calls me Zen Steph now. I’m still the same excitable, emotional person, but now I have tools that help me pause and choose how I want to respond. 

What I also love is that I now know I can do anything. Whatever I want to do, I just do. And if it feels good, I keep going.

What’s next? I’m finishing a wellness book that’s also called Love What’s On Your Plate—it’s the second in the series. The cookbook is about food, and this one is about learning how to respond to what’s on your plate in life. It’s a wellness book where each chapter covers a different perspective on feeling better. It talks about how to learn from and manage challenges, how to prioritize self-care, food, energy—all of it—so you can live your best life. 

I also want to do a podcast, so that’s in the works. And I’m building out my SV Living by Stephanie Valentine with more and more resources. Feeling your best has to be accessible to everyone! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.v.living/ 

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